laxr lalkj - Sangat Sansar

The Nanak Kheti: Organic Farming with apassion for prosperityBy Umendra DuttThere is a silent and constructiverevolution happening in Punjab to save theenvironment, regenerate ecological resourcesto bring back soil productivity and re-establishecological balance in the farms. This is thenatural farming movement of Kheti VirasatMission (KVM), a civil society action groupheadquartered in the Jaitu town of Faridkotdistrict. The movement is led by experiencedfarmers.Does natural farming economics work?This spiritual soil science is financially morebeneficial to the farmers. After adoptingnatural farming they are spending far less thanthat in the earlier chemical farming days.Natural farming is more cost effective and inputefficient.There is an urgent need of Swadeshiagriculture movement to decolonise Indianagriculture and to liberate Indian farmer fromthe clutches of westernised agriculture anddevelopmental paradigm being promoted byICAR and State Agriculture Universities. Thisprototype is philosophically alien to our culturalmoorings and stranger to ecological ethos andbeliefs of our society.Neither are they environmentalists, noreconomists nor religious preachers nor trainedagriculture experts nor health professionals, but theypossess and practice the wisdom of all these. Theypractice Guru Nanak’s precept of Sarbat da Bhalameaning the wellbeing of all, in their farming. Theyare the natural farmers of Punjab.Their farms are laboratories of happiness forall and encompass every living creature on earth,every life form. It is farming with passion for thewellbeing of all; one can call it spiritual farming,natural farming, non-violent agriculture or simplyNanak Kheti. These farmers also take care of alarge variety of birds, earthworms, honey bees,butterflies and fireflies and many more magnificentlife forms. For these farmers all living creaturesare part of a family and - it is their family.Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM) preaches toadopt famous verses of Guru Granth Sahib infarming practices: “Pavnu Guru, Panni Pita MattaDharat Mahat” (Air is guru, water is father andearth is mother). This holy guiding principle shouldbe part of the life, practice and mission of farmerswho want to do natural farming.There is a silent and constructive revolutionhappening in Punjab to save the environment,regenerate ecological resources to bring back soilproductivity and re-establish ecological balance inthe farms. This is the natural farming movementof KVM, a civil society action group headquarteredin the Jaitu town of Faridkot district. Themovement is led by experienced farmers whobelieve in principle of Sarbat da bhala,” saysAmarjeet Sharma, a farmer from Chaina village,district Faridkot who heads the village levelVatavaran Panchayat. Vatavaran Panchayats arelocal-level community institutions working asparticipatory civil society initiatives.KVM has evolved a distinct philosophy thatdefines soil as the ‘source of infinite lives’. “Yes,it is true and we have experienced it,” avers KVMchairman and a farmer from Rai Ke Kalan villageof Bathinda, Harjant Singh. If the soil is rich inmicro-organisms, its texture is soft, full of naturalessence and ample quantities of moisture are keptintact. Then the soil gives healthy crops, and thereis a lesser need for irrigation.KVM farmers use Jeevaamrita (a cow urinebased microbial preparation) to revive microbialactivity in soil. With the application of Jeevaamritaand Ghan Jeevaamrita (a solid form of Jeevaamrita),the soil is gradually becoming rich in the humus,yield has increased, and other life forms are comingback in the fields, says Charanjeet Singh Punni,another KVM farmer from Chaina village and anatural farming trainer. Punni highlights anotherebZ] 200814laxr lalkj (ekfld)